Alex artist edges closer to dream exhibition at the New York Art Expo in the USA
Somalian Ambassador to South Africa Mohamed Ali Mire brings Alex artist Fumani Maluleke’s dream of exhibiting at the New York Art Expo close to realisation.
Fumani Walter Maluleke has one less nagging item on his wish list as he edges closer to his dream trip to the United States to exhibit his artwork at the New York Art Expo.
This follows a pledge from the Somalian Ambassador to South Africa, Mohamed Ali Mire to sponsor a return ticket to the Big Apple for the budding artist. The ambassador pledged this at an International African Art Business Brunch fundraising event at Siga Culinary on East Bank Avenue in Alexandra on September 8. The event was hosted by Symbols of Resilience in association with AlexBiz.
Fundraising organiser and Alex arts creative Refilwe Pieterse said they aimed to raise R185 000 to cover all the travelling expenses, hotel accommodation and other expenses so that Malukele could represent South Africa and Africa at the expo. In his short address, Mire said he would like to throw something into the kitty to help a fellow African brother realise his dream and possibly break into the big money art business so he too could return to Africa and give back to other struggling artists.
“It’s all about looking after each other as we used to as Africans just as South Africans were looked after by their fellow African brothers during the dark days of apartheid when they waged the liberation struggle,” Mire said.
Born in Limpopo in the village of Giyani, Maluleke (32) started doing art at age 14 by scraping his art on his homestead walls that his mother had just painted using the traditional cow dung hand paint.
“She would shout at me and call me all sorts of names, not knowing a budding artist and art craft was awakening in me, and here I am today,” he said, pointing to one of his signature artworks on the traditional reed or grass mat known as ‘xitheve’ in Tsonga and ‘icansi’ in the Nguni languages.
“I want to go to New York to exhibit xitheve and sell the art form to Americans in the hope that it catches on like wildfire. We can as South Africans and Africans produce more xitheves and create jobs for ogogo back home to earn an income and ignite a lucrative art business among our youth,” Maluleke added.
Details: Fumani Maluleke 071 930 3877.
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